Hierarchical floating car data network

• US 20070271029A1
• Filed: 03/05/2007
• Published: 11/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Tzamaloukas, Assimakis
• Granted Patent: US 8,965,695 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/28 with correlation of data from several navigational instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0104 Measuring and analyzing of parameters relative to traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096811 where the route is computed offboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096827 where the route is computed onboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096844 where the complete route is dynamically recomputed based on new data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096861 where the immediate route instructions are output to the driver, e.g. arrow signs for next turn
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096872 where instructions are given per voice
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096888 where input information is obtained using learning systems, e.g. history databases
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles

Abstract

A hierarchical floating car data network comprises a central server, an egress point network, and a participating vehicle network. The egress point network is in communication with the central server. The egress point network comprises a plurality of egress points. The participating vehicle network comprises a plurality of participating vehicles. At least some of the plurality of participating vehicles are in direct communication with each other. At least some of the plurality of participating vehicles are in communication with at least some of the plurality of egress points. Furthermore, at least some of the plurality of participating vehicles may be in communication with the central server. A geographic database is formed from content communicated between the elements of the hierarchical floating car data network.

Claims

1. A hierarchical floating car data network comprising:

a central server;

an egress point network in communication with said central server; and

a participating vehicle network comprising a plurality of participating vehicles wherein at least some of said plurality of participating vehicles are in direct communication with each other;

wherein at least some of said plurality of participating vehicles are in communication with said egress point network; and

wherein at least some of said plurality of participating vehicles are in communication with said central server.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein at least some of said plurality participating vehicle are mobile egress points.

3. The invention of claim 1 wherein at least some of said plurality of participating vehicles are in communication with said central server according to a wireless wide area network.

4. The invention of claim 3 wherein said participating vehicles in communication with said central server according to said wireless wide area network are mobile egress points.

5. The invention of claim 1 wherein at least some of said plurality of participating vehicles are in direct communication with each other according to an enhanced ad-hoc wireless network.

6. The invention of claim 1 wherein at least some of said plurality of participating vehicles are in communication with said egress point network according to an infrastructure mode of communications.

7. The invention of claim 1 wherein said egress point network comprises a plurality of egress points wherein at least some of said egress points are in communication with each other and wherein each egress point of said plurality of egress points is in communication with said central server.

8. The invention of claim 7 wherein said plurality of egress points comprise fixed egress points and mobile egress points.

9. The invention of claim 8 wherein each fixed egress point transmits and receives an enhanced beacon format beacon.

10. The invention of claim 8 wherein said mobile egress points comprises a wireless wide area network radio for communicating with said central server.

11. The invention of claim 8 wherein at least one egress point of said plurality of egress points comprises a wireless local area network radio for communicating according to an infrastructure mode of communications with said plurality of participating vehicles.

12. The invention of claim 8 wherein said fixed egress points comprises a wireline connection for communicating with said central server.

13. The invention of claim 7 wherein each egress point of said plurality of egress points comprises means for receiving data from said plurality of vehicles, means for processing the data, and means for updating a geographic database with the processed data.

14. The invention of claim 7 wherein each egress point of said plurality of egress points comprises means for reading a database, means for performing calculations on the database to produce data, and means for transmitting the data to said plurality of vehicles.

15. The invention of claim 7 further comprising channel frequency allocation map means for assigning frequency channels to said plurality of egress points and to said plurality of participating vehicles such that said plurality of egress points and said plurality of participating vehicles communicate over frequency channels assigned by said central server.

16. The invention of claim 15 wherein said channel frequency allocation map means further comprises scanning means for locating frequency channels.

17. The invention of claim 1 wherein each of said plurality of participating vehicles comprise an enhanced mobile communication device.

18. The invention of claim 17 wherein said enhanced mobile communication device comprises on-board software, and wherein said on-board software receives automatic updates from said egress point network or said central server.

19. The invention of claim 1 wherein each of said plurality of participating vehicles comprise on-board equipment.

20. The invention of claim 19 wherein said on-board equipment comprises on-board software, and wherein said on-board software receives automatic updates from said egress point network or said central server.

21. The invention of claim 19 wherein said on-board equipment comprises a wireless wide area network radio for communicating with said central server.

22. The invention of claim 19 wherein said on-board equipment comprises a baseline radio and for communicating according to an enhanced ad-hoc mode of communications.

23. The invention of claim 19 wherein said on-board equipment comprises an extended radio and for communicating according to an enhanced ad-hoc mode of communications and an infrastructure mode of communications, wherein said extended radio is operative to switch between the enhanced ad-hoc mode of communications and the infrastructure mode of communications.

24. The invention of claim 19 wherein said on-board equipment comprises means for reading a database, means for performing calculations on the database to produce data, means for transmitting the data to other participating vehicles of said plurality of participating vehicles, and means for transmitting the data to said egress point network

25. The invention of claim 24 wherein said on-board equipment further comprises means for transmitting the data to said central server.

26. The invention of claim 19 wherein said on-board equipment comprises means for receiving data from other vehicles of said plurality of vehicles, means for receiving data from said egress point network, means for processing the data from the other vehicles and from the egress point network, and means for updating a geographic database with the processed data.

27. The invention of claim 1 wherein said central server comprises a central database.

28. The invention of claim 27 wherein said central server comprises means for updating said central geographic database.

43. A geographic database formed using the hierarchical floating car data network of claim 1.

44. The invention of claim 43 wherein said geographic database is organized according to end-user patterns.

45. The invention of claim 43 wherein said geographic database is organized according to traffic flow.

29. A hierarchical floating car data network method comprising:

(a) transmitting content from a plurality of participating vehicles to a plurality of egress points;

(b) accumulating content at the plurality of egress points;

(c) transmitting the accumulated content at the plurality of egress points to a central server; and

(d) at the central server, performing calculations on the accumulated content.

30. The invention of claim 29 wherein said transmitting in (a) comprises adjusting transmit power according to a distance between each of the plurality of participating vehicles to each of the plurality of egress points.

31. The invention of claim 29 further comprising communicating state information from the plurality of participating vehicles to the plurality of egress points, and sharing the state information between the plurality of egress points.

32. The invention of claim 29 further comprising transmitting content directly between the plurality of participating vehicles according to an enhanced ad-hoc wireless communication network.

33. The invention of claim 29 further comprising transmitting content from at least some of the plurality of participating vehicles to the central server.

34. The invention of claim 29 further comprising exchanging content between the plurality of egress points.

35. The invention of claims 29, 32, 33, or 34 wherein the content comprises a beacon service table.

36. The invention of claims 29, 32, 33, or 34 wherein the content comprises a vehicle service table.

37. The invention of claim 29 further comprising transmitting content from at least one of the plurality of egress points to at least one of the plurality of participating vehicles.

38. The invention of claim 29 further comprising transmitting content from the central server to at least one of the plurality of egress points.

39. The invention of claim 29 further comprising transmitting content from the central server to at least one of the plurality of participating vehicles.

40. The invention of claim 29 further comprising at the central server, creating and updating a geographic database with the accumulated content.

41. The invention of claim 40 further comprising computing routes from the geographic database.

42. The invention of claim 41 further comprising transmitting the routes to at least some of the participating vehicles.